Please Note that there will not be any postings on this blog
from 16 February t0 21 February, 2011.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tricky Situation
15 February, 2011
Read Luke Luke 20:20-26
Luke 20:24-25
"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
The religious teachers were trying to look for a way to frame Jesus. So they sent pious looking Jews with hard questions, hoping to trick him and arrest him. Jesus had become too big a threat to their power.
The Roman coin bore the image of Tiberius Caesar with the inscription of him as the "Son of God" which was blasphemous to the Jews.
If Jesus oppose the payment to Caesar, he would be exposed as a revolutionary. If Jesus said to pay, he would disqualify himself as a Messiah. In the eyes of the Jews, God's kingdom was not merely spiritual in nature. The kingdom of God touches everyday reality.
Jesus' answer was brilliant. First he asked for a coin from his questioners. The act of taking the coin out of their pockets was a visual slap on their hypocrisy. What are they doing possessing such blasphemous objects? Getting them to read the inscription further confounded them to admit Caesar's blasphemous title.
So when Jesus said, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's" - he was challenging them in their position of supporting the Romans to oppress their own people. The religious leaders (not the Pharisees) had to admit the revolutionaries were right in their belief not to allow the pagan rulers to crush their own people though wrong in their methods.
But Jesus' challenge came stronger in the second part of his answer. The temple and the religious authorities had failed to give to God what belongs to God.
Jesus ultimate answer was give to God what rightfully belongs to Him, and the Caesar's part would right itself.
In encountering a tricky situation, practice what is first clear to us - the clear commands of God and the gray area will take care of itself.
Jesus' answer bears much wisdom even today. This is the essence of wisdom living.
Read Luke Luke 20:20-26
Luke 20:24-25
"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
The religious teachers were trying to look for a way to frame Jesus. So they sent pious looking Jews with hard questions, hoping to trick him and arrest him. Jesus had become too big a threat to their power.
The Roman coin bore the image of Tiberius Caesar with the inscription of him as the "Son of God" which was blasphemous to the Jews.
If Jesus oppose the payment to Caesar, he would be exposed as a revolutionary. If Jesus said to pay, he would disqualify himself as a Messiah. In the eyes of the Jews, God's kingdom was not merely spiritual in nature. The kingdom of God touches everyday reality.
Jesus' answer was brilliant. First he asked for a coin from his questioners. The act of taking the coin out of their pockets was a visual slap on their hypocrisy. What are they doing possessing such blasphemous objects? Getting them to read the inscription further confounded them to admit Caesar's blasphemous title.
So when Jesus said, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's" - he was challenging them in their position of supporting the Romans to oppress their own people. The religious leaders (not the Pharisees) had to admit the revolutionaries were right in their belief not to allow the pagan rulers to crush their own people though wrong in their methods.
But Jesus' challenge came stronger in the second part of his answer. The temple and the religious authorities had failed to give to God what belongs to God.
Jesus ultimate answer was give to God what rightfully belongs to Him, and the Caesar's part would right itself.
In encountering a tricky situation, practice what is first clear to us - the clear commands of God and the gray area will take care of itself.
Jesus' answer bears much wisdom even today. This is the essence of wisdom living.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Spiritual Eyesight
14 February, 2011
Read Luke 18:31-43
Luke 18:41
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
How would you answer if Jesus were to ask you the above question? What would your answer be?
The man was both blind and a beggar. He could have asked for money or food (which would be his 'normal daily' request) but he went for the chance of his lifetime - sight. This shows his complete faith in Jesus and he received what he asked for.
The story of the blind beggar happened on Jesus' route to Jerusalem where he would be betrayed, tortured and crucified. (v. 31-33). Yet "the disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."(v.34).
The disciples were still caught up with their own idea of how things should be. They imagined Jesus going to bring in the Kingdom of God through healing, victory but minus the suffering and the cross. They anticipated the glory and were clueless about the pains.
They have eyes but cannot see. Those who were with Jesus 24/7, for nearly three-and-a-half years failed to see. The beggar who encountered Jesus for that few minutes received sight. That was the faith commended by Jesus.
Luke 11:9-10
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
The key and right to ask Jesus for anything has been given us.
Will we ask for sight - spiritual sight that will enable us to see Jesus taking all the blindness of a world gone wrong? Opening our eyes to see things from His angle, understanding God's purpose and plan through His spiritual sight?
May we ask for spiritual insight - to live a life of wisdom where things are done the godly way to reflect the God whom we worship.
Read Luke 18:31-43
Luke 18:41
“What do you want me to do for you?”
“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.
How would you answer if Jesus were to ask you the above question? What would your answer be?
The man was both blind and a beggar. He could have asked for money or food (which would be his 'normal daily' request) but he went for the chance of his lifetime - sight. This shows his complete faith in Jesus and he received what he asked for.
The story of the blind beggar happened on Jesus' route to Jerusalem where he would be betrayed, tortured and crucified. (v. 31-33). Yet "the disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."(v.34).
The disciples were still caught up with their own idea of how things should be. They imagined Jesus going to bring in the Kingdom of God through healing, victory but minus the suffering and the cross. They anticipated the glory and were clueless about the pains.
They have eyes but cannot see. Those who were with Jesus 24/7, for nearly three-and-a-half years failed to see. The beggar who encountered Jesus for that few minutes received sight. That was the faith commended by Jesus.
Luke 11:9-10
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
The key and right to ask Jesus for anything has been given us.
Will we ask for sight - spiritual sight that will enable us to see Jesus taking all the blindness of a world gone wrong? Opening our eyes to see things from His angle, understanding God's purpose and plan through His spiritual sight?
May we ask for spiritual insight - to live a life of wisdom where things are done the godly way to reflect the God whom we worship.
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